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It wouldn’t be February without an ad knocking the proposed state budget, and CSEA didn’t disappoint, releasing the first negative ad of the budget year.

The television ad from the state’s largest public-employees union takes aim at the overall budget and doesn’t specify what its main gripes are. CSEA has said previously that it opposes a new, less generous pension tier and has warned against government consolidation that could lead to job cuts.

But the union last year reached a labor agreement with Gov. Andrew Cuomo that includes layoff protections, and a new pension tier wouldn’t affect current workers—something Cuomo regularly points out.

And the ad says the budget would “erode the middle class,” but Cuomo and lawmakers included in the budget a tax cut to the middle class.

Last year, school aid and Medicaid spending were both cut; this year both are getting 4 percent increases in spending.

Last year, the Committee To Save NY, a Cuomo-backed group, far outspent the governor’s foes, dumping nearly $10 million into ads —a move that effectively countered adds from unions and school groups.

Here’s the script and ad:

“It’s time for frank talk about the proposed New York state executive budget. The truth is what you don’t know can hurt you.
There’s no transparency or accountability. It erodes decent jobs, harms our communities and diminishes services New Yorkers rely on. The consequences are no more middle-class, public safety compromised, our most vulnerable citizens at risk – everyone’s future security diminished.
Not good for people, not good for the economy. New Yorkers deserve real answers and budget that works for all.”

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Capitol Confidential gathers the best coverage of New York politics and puts it all together. Each section - Capitol, The State Worker, New York on the Potomac, and Voices - represents a unique facet of the political scene. The Capitol section features coverage from the Times Union Capitol bureau. The State Worker is dedicated to state worker issues. New York on the Potomac offers news of interest to New Yorkers from Washington. And Voices features the best of everything else, pointing you to columnists and bloggers from across the Web.